PRESS RELEASES

Garreth van Vuuren: Relationships take work, work takes relationships

14 April 2021

GARRETH VAN VUUREN

Managing Director
RAPT Creative
 
Garreth holds over 15 years of Marketing and Live Event Production experience - leading multiple teams, businesses, and projects. Through innovative thinking and dynamic executions, he converts strategic plans into tactical realities.
 
The essence of Garreth’s work is constructing all-immersive experiences with a thorough understanding of both the brand and consumer. He guides companies and brands with a results-driven approach, ensuring they become viable businesses in the African and European markets with maximum revenue and value.
 
It’s been proven over and over that Garreth has a creative and logical mind, practical problem-solving skills, and a meticulous drive to see all work through to completion.
 
The secret behind his deep passion for marketing, business, and life is his commitment to building long-lasting relationships.
 
Motto: Do cool shit with cool people.
 

Relationships take work, work takes relationships

Make no mistake, technology is a great enabler whether we are at play or at work, changing the how, the when, the why and the what of almost everything we do. But I strongly believe that, given this world of technology, emoticons and auto replies, it's all too easy to forget that the person behind the avatar is human … and to take them for granted. For me, investing in people, in human capital, is still the greatest investment of our time.
 
How do I, can you, do that?
 
Acknowledge that we are all just human.
Being a good marketer means not only coming up with cool or creative ideas to solve a business problem, it’s about putting yourself in the shoes of the consumer. Often that consumer is not you – they have different wants and needs, desires, disposable incomes, influences and influencers, aspirations, dreams and hopes. The one thing we all have in common is that we are human. Don’t ever forget that truth.
 
No-one comes to work to make mistakes – but we are human, ergo, mistakes will be made.
Blame the problem, not the person. Create an environment of open communication and growth, encourage a solutions-driven mindset. The way to achieve this is to ditch the ego, and encourage everyone around you to do the same.
 
Our fast-paced industry is a stressful one, and negative and frustrating situations arise regularly. When they do, don’t give in to an emotion-fueled response to attack the person you believe to be at fault. 
 
Armed with the knowledge that a solutions-driven mindset solves problems faster, stay calm and take a 30-minute break, if necessary, to interrogate the problem, not the person. Coaching yourself to handle conflict in this manor will build trust with your teams and partners. The more trust and approachability, the faster problems are solved. It also encourages people to think big because they won’t feel shame when or if an idea crashes and burns. Come on, you know many a great idea has remained hidden because people fear rejection.
 
Get the messaging right – not just the words, the medium or the act
One of my wife’s favourite sayings is: “Love the way the person wants to receive it, not in the way you want to give it, as that only benefits you, not the person you love." In other words, some people might show love through physical touch, but others might do so by buying gifts, and yet others by doing chores and helping out without being asked. By the same token, some people might feel loved when someone gives them verbal reassurance, whereas others might feel loved with physical touch and others by simply being helped to wash the dishes.
 
Inappropriate messaging is one of the most common mistakes anyone seeking to communicate with other people can make, whereas understanding that everyone sends and receives messages in different ways is one of the greatest assets. It’s true of marriages, and of the workplace.
 
People seek validation and gain motivation in many different ways. Understanding and appreciating this, and modifying my behaviour appropriately fosters a work environment culture that benefits everyone, both the teams and the clients. And that’s what makes RAPT Creative who we are.

Let your teams audit your behaviour
Each member of your team is unique, and will have different needs and ambitions. Have regular relationship audits with your team and ask the tough questions. What motivates them? What things were said that enabled them? What was said that belittled them or made them feel unmotivated? We can either allow criticism and information to cripple us, or enable us.
 
Accept that it’s a constant process
Company culture isn't something you just get, or that you get to keep. It's a constant process of learning and growing with your team. You yourself can never be perfect, but being willing to listen and grow and embrace constant change is one way to strive for a culture of inclusivity, happiness and epic work.